Al-Attiyah secures tenth Qatar International Rally victory

Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini emerged triumphant after one of the closest battles in the history of the Qatar International Rally this weekend. Competing behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RRC, the Qatari claimed a record-breaking tenth Qatar International Rally victory and his 46th career win in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al-Qassimi and British navigator Scott Martin pushed him all the way until they suffered a flat tyre on the 10th stage. The Qatari then pushed home his advantage over the closing kilometres to seal victory by a margin of 55.7 seconds and claim maximum points from the traditional opening round of the MERC.

“All credit to Khalid for the way he drove this week, but it is fantastic for me to win,” said Al-Attiyah. “Winning in Qatar is always a special feeling and to take my tenth win here is superb.”